The invention relates generally to catheters placed in patients in need of same, and more specifically, to feeding tubes surgically implanted in patients who for one reason or another, cannot receive their daily nutritional intake orally. More particularly, the invention relates to gastrostomy and jejunal feeding tubes and means for their attachment to the patient.
There are many patients affected with disease, stroke or other physiological conditions that result in the inability to normally receive nutrition through the mouth which is then swallowed and broken down and absorbed by the digestive system. People suffering from stroke, Alzheimer""s disease, cancer, inflammation or other infirmities often cannot properly chew or swallow their food or medication which must then be delivered to the patient in another fashion if starvation and malnutrition are to be avoided.
Gastroenterologic feeding tubes have been known for years and are inserted into the stomach by any one of a number of different methods. Generally, a catheter is placed in the body by way of the mouth and is either pulled or pushed downward into the stomach and either left there or is pushed further down into the jejunum of the small intestine. The feeding tubes may also enter the body either by way of the nasal passageway or by means of a gastrostomy in which they are surgically implanted through the abdomen.
The present invention relates to the enteral feeding of patients by these tubes and more particularly to a gastrostomy or jejunal feeding tube which is receivable through the wall of the stomach for feeding and medicating a patient and/or for draining fluids from the patient""s stomach. The present invention also relates to a jejunostomy tube which similarly is receivable into the small intestine from outside the patient""s abdomen.
The use of feeding tubes which extend directly into the stomachs of patients is often required when patients cannot swallow or when they have structures in their esophagi which prevent food from entering their stomachs. In a situation of this type, it is common to perform a gastrostomy on a patient wherein an opening is formed in the skin, facia and stomach wall and wherein a gastrostomy tube is inserted in the opening to allow food, fluid and/or medication to be passed directly into the stomach and also to allow bodily fluids to be drained therefrom.
Various types of gastrostomy devices have been inserted in patients by means of a percutaneous insertion, a surgical placement, a radiological placement or others. The procedures employed generally follow those known as the Sachs-Vine procedure, the Gauderer and Ponsky procedure, and others. Typical patents describing these procedures and publications of the technique are set forth in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,861,334 to Nawaz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,306 to Quinn et, al. and U.S. Pat No. 5,080,650 to Hirsch et. al. all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Enteral feeding tubes that enter the stomach through surgically incised openings through the skin, facia and peritoneum must be secured in some manner so that the tube does not move about within the patient or be displaced if pulled. Generally, enteral or gastrostomy feeding tubes are either surgically inserted through the skin of the abdomen or fed down to the stomach by way of the mouth and pharynx.
Catheters and enteral feeding tubes which enter the body are frequently held in place by both internal and external means. In some cases, the catheter/tube may have an internal retention means such that the end of the catheter is held in place within a body cavity such as the stomach or the bowel. This internal retainer portion may take the form of a disk, dome, multiple flanges or leaves or an inflatable balloon that is attached to the catheter tip. The external means of retention are often affixed (e.g., adhesives, sutures) to the patient""s skin for security from inadvertent traction and removal. Nonetheless, catheters are often inadvertently dislodged by patients or care givers through excessive traction placed on connectors or tubing lines.
Particularly susceptible to inadvertent removal or displacement are those catheters that have no internal retention means and rely only on external attachments or fixation to maintain catheter position. For example, jejunostomy feeding tube which may be placed through the patient""s abdomen and into the small bowel frequently consists of only a small bore tube with no expandable or bulbous xe2x80x9ctipxe2x80x9d present to hold it""s position within the lumen of the bowel. Thus, only the external retention means at the patient""s skin maintains the tube""s position. In some cases, the tube itself, or a retainer or connector attached to the tube, are sutured to the patient""s skin. Alternatively, adhesive tape or some other securement or adhesive method might be used. In either of these cases, traction placed on the external connected tubing will apply force directly to the catheter at the point where it enters the body and can result in extraction or displacement of the catheter if the sutures or adhesive releases. Providing a means for shock absorption (aka xe2x80x9cstrain reliefxe2x80x9d) between the connecting tube and the catheter could reduce the incidence of inadvertent catheter removal or displacement resulting from excessive traction on the tubing.
External retention means and devices also consist of various slidable or lockable components which may be attached to the catheter tube to prevent the tube from migrating inward to the patient. These devices may be sutured or adhered to the patient""s skin to reduce the risk that external traction will dislodge the tube. Furthermore, some of these devices provide a single capture ring means for holding the tube in a right angle position from the point where it exits the patient""s body. However, none of these external retention means satisfactorily addresses the issue of strain relief in that any traction force will still be transmitted directly to the tubing at the exit site point with the risk of resulting dislodgment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,816 to Quinn, discloses a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube assembly comprising a distal end retention device which holds the tube in the stomach, secures the catheter and bends it at a right angle to the patient""s skin. A bolus tip is comprised of a balloon which, once surgically implanted, is inflated thereby securing the catheter internally to the patient. An external bolster grips the tube at a selected distance from the balloon and forces it at a right angle so that a set connector lies immediately adjacent to the patient""s abdomen when in place and is secure thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,960 also to Quinn discloses another retention means for securing a gastrostomy tube to the wall of the stomach and the outer skin of the patient as well. The device consists of an elongated body comprised of silicone rubber that is split above a substantial portion of its body to form two legs joined together at one end. The legs are separable at the other end and the enteral feeding tube is inserted therebetween which is then gripped by the legs of the device. This is then turned at a 90xc2x0 angle to position the feeding tube parallel to the surface of the outer skin affording the patient a more comfortable implantation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,657 to Stem et. al. discloses a low profile adapter for gastrostomy feeding tubes. The adapter comprises an anti-reflux valve assembly having a stem which can be a onexe2x80x94way valve to prevent reflux of the gastric contents but still allows for the administration of dietary supplement to the patient. A clamp is placed around the feeding tube and the valve stem and is locked into place to secure the valve stem to the feeding tube at a location flush with the patients skin. A silicon cover is placed around the clamp to keep the area in a substantially sterile condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,254 to Buma teaches and claims specialized. catheters which contain adjustable external locking devices to secure the enteral feeding tube so the bolster can rest securely attached to the patient""s skins surface. A compression element and engagement elements that attach the tube to the bolster device are located both on the vertically oriented portion of the tubes"" curved passageway and the side oriented portion thereof. The bolster device is locked into position by the tension that exists between the engagement elements of the catheter and the side oriented engagement elements of the bolster caused by the denting of the flexible tubular member into the right angle providing a curved passageway within the side port bolster.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,212 to Anderson teaches a bumper retention device for securing a catheter or feeding tube at the site of the body opening or ostomy. The retention device maintains the feeding tube in an angular fixation externally against the skin portion connected a loop portion. The loop portion is placed about the outer diameter of the feeding tube and the stem portion is inserted into an end operative of the retention bar so that the feeding tube is secured at a 90xc2x0 angle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,543 to Ross et. al. discloses a laparoscopic jejunostomy instrumentation kit for the surgical implantation of jejunostomy feeding tubes, one component of which is an external retaining device which is surgically attached to the patient""s skin and guides the tube through a 90xc2x0 bend without kinking the tube. The retaining device is comprised of a base which rests against the patient""s skin and is attached thereto and a tube guiding conduit integral thereto which guides the tube 90xc2x0 in a hole in the base that is aligned with the ostomy. The feeding tube is then fed through the hole and into the stomach.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,969 to Hirsch et. al. discloses a similar external retaining device consisting of a base for attachment to the skin and a feeding tube retaining conduit that is integral thereto. The tube enters a first hole in the conduit and is fed through the conduit and then bent at a 90xc2x0 angle for entry into the ostomy through a second hole in the conduit and base which is aligned and confluent with the ostomy.
PCT/DE98/03285 to Pausch et. al. discloses and claims a device for the fixation of a catheter or ostomy feeding tube comprising a resting plate fitted with a support wall on which the catheter or feeding tube is placed. The support wall guides the catheter or feeding tube at a substantially ninety degree (90xc2x0) angle from the surgically incised ostomy away from the patients body. In order to attach and secure the catheter or tube, a pivoting flap folds over the tube and is aligned with the top surface support wall as it is clicked into a closed position. The catheter or tube is thereby folded at the ninety degree (90xc2x0) angle without modifying its cross section.
European Patent Application No. EP 0 648 512 B 1 to Van Heasch discloses a flexible bracket for securing a catheter or feeding tube to a patient""s body comprising a substantially flat plate that rests against the skin of the patient over the ostomy and a housing that is somewhat cylindrical in shape that receives the catheter tube at one end of the housing from the source of nutrition or medication and then feeds the tube through the ostomy at a substantially ninety degree (90xc2x0) right angle. A planar retention means within the stomach or body cavity of the patient secures the catheter or feeding tube from within.
Other examples of catheter and feeding tube retention devices relevant to the present invention may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,703 to Bryant entitled Catheter Adapter and Retainer; U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,712 to Quinn entitled xe2x80x9cTube Fixation Devicexe2x80x9d and EPO 865 799 to Balbierz entitled xe2x80x9cAdjustable Securing Wingsxe2x80x9d which discloses and adjustable anchoring device comprised of wings or flanges which retain a catheter at a desired location inside a patient.
None of the above prior art devices effectively provide a means for shock absorption, i.e., strain relief that often occurs between the gastrostomy or jejunal feeding tube and the connecting tubing from the feed part due to the inadvertent pulling or movement of the tube that is external to the patient""s body which could result in dislodgment of the tube from the patient with possible dire consequences.
It is an object of the present invention then to provide an improved feeding tube retention device for use outside the patient""s body that substantially lowers the risk or eliminates entirely the possible dislodgment of the tube from the ostomy due to the inadvertent pulling or movement of the tube for whatever reason. This will not only prevent the removal or displacement of the tube from the patient""s body, but will also prevent or guard against the resultant tearing of sutures and damage to the patient""s internal organs, muscular fascia, etc., that may occur.
The present invention is an external feeding tube retention device comprised of a base with a hole or bore that passes therethrough and multiple retention rings. A first retention ring is located on the base. A second retention ring is located on the base whose axis is out of alignment to that of the first retention ring housing. All three bores, each retention ring providing at least one bore, are substantially equal in circumference and are sized to accommodate the circumference of the feeding tube which is threaded there through resulting in a bending of the tube at a 90xc2x0 angle from the Y-port connector to the ostomy incision.